This is not a recreation of Martin Elliott’s iconic tennis poster from 1976 but something altogether more painful.

When 19-year-old Lauren Davis lost her third-round match at the Sony Open, it was not just the defeat that stung.

During the gruelling defeat by world No 36 Alize Cornet under the Florida sun, the American was stung by a wasp on her backside.

Wasp attack: Lauren Davis was stung on the backside while playing Alize Cornet (or should that be hornet)

She was in obvious pain and battled on to lose 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 but she refused to blame her defeat on the wasp's sting.

The pictures of Davis resembled the iconic poster taken by photographer Elliott of a female tennis player, his girlfriend at the time, that sold more than two million copies.

Heat stroke: Cornet collapses in the Florida heat during the match

Escape route: Cornet is escorted from the court in a wheelchair, as was her stung rival

Temperatures on court soared to well over
32C and both Davis and Cornet were left so physically exhausted by such
a long match in the humidity that both players left the court in
wheelchairs.

Iconic: The image shot by Martin Elliot (left) has been recreated before – unintentionally by Maria Sharapova

Other posers…

Kylie Minogue (see below)

Keith Lemon

Courtney Stoddon

Laura Robson passed up the chance to become British No 1 on Friday night, beaten in three sets in the second round defeat by Cornet.

The 19-year-old started well but, in a match which lasted two hours 36 minutes but was stretched over seven hours due to rain delays and power cuts in Miami, the 32nd-seeded Frenchwoman emerged a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 winner.

Old times: Fiona Walker, at 53, poses with a picture of herself as the 18-year-old 'Athena tennis poster girl'

Robson forced to wait for No 1 sport after losing three-set battle to Cornet in Miami

By
Steven Donaldson

PUBLISHED:

11:59 GMT, 23 March 2013

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UPDATED:

11:59 GMT, 23 March 2013

Laura Robson passed up the chance to become British No 1 on Friday night, beaten in three sets in the second round of the WTA Sony Open by Alize Cornet.

The 19-year-old started well but, in a match which lasted two hours 36 minutes but was stretched over seven hours due to rain delays and power cuts in Miami, the 32nd-seeded Frenchwoman eventually emerged a 5-7 7-5 6-1 winner.

World No 36 Cornet, who wrapped up the win with a run of five straight games, will face American Lauren Davis in round three.